Have you thought of the cricket battle between these two great men of the cricketing world? Imagine a cricket match where two of the best players of the world are facing off. That’s the type of excitement and craze these players have. These two Indian cricketing stars have redefined the way cricket is played. Their exceptional skills and leadership is nothing less than exceptional. While king Kohli is known for his aggressive batting style and hunger for runs, Captain cool, Dhoni is renowned for his calm behavior, strategic thinking and finishing abilities.
Today in this blog, we will talk about the biggest comparison and will find out about who is the best among the Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. We will look deep into their stats in different types of cricket like Test, ODI, IPL and T20. To draw an idea of comparison of who is the best player.
MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli: A Battle of Legends
The rivalry of Dhoni and Virat Kohli is a constant topic of debate and discussion among the cricket fans. With their impressive records as individuals both are best at their places. MS Dhoni is best as a captain winning trophies in team and his favor. On the other hand, Kohli is among the world’s best batsmen.
While both players have made significant success in the Indian cricket their comparison is often made on their respective career stats and captainship. Here in the blog following would be his career comparison in different
Read Also:- Virat Kohli Captaincy Record in All Format
MS Dhoni vs Virat Kohli: Overall stats comparison
Test Cricket
| Player | Matches (M) | Innings (Inn) | Not Outs (NO) | Runs | Highest Score (HS) | Average (Avg) | Balls Faced (BF) | Strike Rate (SR) | Centuries (100) | Double Centuries (200) | Half-Centuries (50) | Fours (4s) | Sixes (6s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 113 | 191 | 11 | 8848 | 254 | 49.16 | 15924 | 55.56 | 29 | 7 | 30 | 991 | 26 |
| MS Dhoni | 90 | 144 | 16 | 4876 | 224 | 38.09 | 8248 | 59.12 | 6 | 1 | 33 | 544 | 78 |
Talking the test of long form cricket, Virat stands out with “virat” numbers in his favor. With the ability of consistent performance and high scoring run rates, Kohli is a force that bats with a firing prowess. Whereas on the other hand MSD is known for his cool and calm composure during the high stake matches and also for his ability to with hold himself on the field when the teams needs him is commendable.Kohli’s average of 49.16 is a testament to his consistency, while Dhoni’s average of 38.09, though lower, is still respectable given the demands of the format.
ODI Cricket
| Player | Matches (M) | Innings (Inn) | Not Outs (NO) | Runs | Highest Score (HS) | Average (Avg) | Balls Faced (BF) | Strike Rate (SR) | Centuries (100) | Double Centuries (200) | Half-Centuries (50) | Fours (4s) | Sixes (6s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 295 | 283 | 44 | 13906 | 183 | 58.18 | 14866 | 93.54 | 50 | 0 | 72 | 1302 | 152 |
| MS Dhoni | 350 | 297 | 84 | 10773 | 183 | 50.58 | 12303 | 87.56 | 10 | 0 | 73 | 826 | 229 |
In the ODI format both Virat and Dhoni have undefinable marks. Virat’s ability to pull runs and Dhoni’s stability on the ground is their abilities that makes them stand apart. Having played a total of 295 matches, Kohli has shown his consistency and ability to adapt, establishing himself as the greatest batsmen of all time.His average of 58.18 is exceptional, and his century tally of 50 is unmatched. Dhoni, while a reliable performer but a consistent player, has not been as very prolific in this format. With an impressive average of 50.58 he played with a strike rate of 87.56 in a total of 350 matches.
Read Also:- MS Dhoni Captaincy Records in All Format
T20 International (T20I)
| Player | Matches (M) | Innings (Inn) | Not Outs (NO) | Runs | Highest Score (HS) | Average (Avg) | Balls Faced (BF) | Strike Rate (SR) | Centuries (100) | Double Centuries (200) | Half-Centuries (50) | Fours (4s) | Sixes (6s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 125 | 117 | 31 | 4188 | 122 | 48.7 | 3056 | 137.04 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 369 | 124 |
| MS Dhoni | 98 | 85 | 42 | 1617 | 56 | 37.6 | 1282 | 126.13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 116 | 52 |
The batting stats highly favors Virat Kohli to be the best in the T20 format of the game. He has been part of 125 matches, where he has accumulated a total of 4188. Whereas on the other hand, Dhoni might not stand as strong in numbers of matches or runs but his ability to be there on grounds and remaining unbeaten for 42 times indicates that he is not just a captain he is the hope of the stressful match.
Indian Premier League (IPL)
| Player | Matches (M) | Innings (Inn) | Not Outs (NO) | Runs | Highest Score (HS) | Average (Avg) | Balls Faced (BF) | Strike Rate (SR) | Centuries (100) | Double Centuries (200) | Half-Centuries (50) | Fours (4s) | Sixes (6s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 252 | 244 | 37 | 8004 | 113 | 38.67 | 6065 | 131.97 | 8 | 0 | 55 | 705 | 272 |
| MS Dhoni | 264 | 229 | 95 | 5243 | 84 | 39.13 | 3812 | 137.54 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 363 | 252 |
Both the players have significant achievements in their names. Kohli and Dhoni both have shown exceptional skills as captain of their respective teams. Kohli, known for his aggressive batting style, has amassed a substantial number of runs with a consistent average of 38.67. He accumulated a total of 8004 runs by hitting 8 centuries and 55 half centuries and a strike rate of 131.97.
Whereas on the other hand, Captain cool has been a crucial asset for his team and its success. With a calm and composed nature and ability of best finisher he is a great leader. He also has a superior end in his name where he has played a total of 264 matches remaining 95 times unbeaten for the team and standing as a pillar of strength on the ground for the team. Besides just being the match number, Dhoni’s average and strike rate are also comparatively higher than Kohli. So definitely, Dhoni is the ultimate winner of the best award for the debate of the comparison.
Read Also:- New God of T20 Cricket
So, Who is Better? – Dhoni or Kohli?
When it comes to deciding who is the ultimate winner of the comparison it is a bit difficult to name a single player as both are great players with great success and contribution in Indian Cricket. But if one has to name the best out of these two then both are best at different places. Comparison of stats definitely indicates that Kohli is the best player who has secured thousands of runs and is the most successful cricketer by far now.
The former Indian team captain is ranked 10th in Tests in the ICC rankings & is ranked number 4 in ODIs. His current T20 rank is 50th on the ICC rankings.
MS Dhoni: Captaincy Supreme
The win of the debate of the captaincy supreme definitely wins in favor of the Captain Cool, MS Dhoni. He has won many tournaments while handling the leadership. Along with winning Indian team trophies he has also won the domestic league- IPL trophies in the favor of his team. He led the team to win five times before handing the leadership to young talent Rituraj Gaikawad.
